Redskins 38, Cowboys 31
Welcome back to Texas, RG3.
Robert Griffin III threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns to help the visiting Washington Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys.
The Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor made the Cowboys look like an overmatched college team during the decisive second quarter in Griffin’s first pro game in his home state. He got some help from his receivers, including a leaping grab and long run from former Mount Union standout Pierre Garcon and some nifty footwork in the end zone by Santana Moss.
Tony Romo lost for the first time in six starts on Thanksgiving, despite a career-high 441 yards and three second-half touchdowns, including the longest of his career — an 85-yarder to Dez Bryant. Romo ran in a 2-point conversion after a TD throw to Felix Jones and threw another scoring pass to Bryant to help Dallas close to 35-28 with 8:24 remaining after the Cowboys trailed 28-3 at halftime.
“I thought we had a good chance,” Romo said.
But Griffin answered — twice, actually. After Romo’s long touchdown to Bryant, Griffin threw his fourth scoring pass, a 29-yarder to Niles Paul. The rookie became the first Redskins quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in consecutive games.
After the Cowboys pulled within a touchdown, Griffin drove them into scoring position again, calmly completing three passes for first downs and running 5½ minutes off the clock before Kai Forbath made it 38-28 on a 48-yard field goal.
Dallas drove to a field goal, but DeAngelo Hall easily picked up the onside kick and ran untouched before sliding down short of the goal line, clinching Romo’s third loss in three career 400-yard games. It also was the Cowboys’ first loss to the Redskins in seven games on Thanksgiving.
“That quarterback is obviously a very good player, and they use him well,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “It was challenging for us to slow those guys down. We didn’t do enough offensively to keep up with them in the first half.”
The Cowboys (5-6) actually contained Griffin in the first quarter, getting a sack and forcing an intentional grounding penalty that gave them good enough field position for an easy drive to a 3-0 lead.
Everything changed on Griffin’s first big NFL play in Texas. He hit Aldrick Robinson in stride for a 68-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead to spark the first 28-point quarter in 13 years for the Redskins (5-6).
Griffin’s next big throw wasn’t nearly as accurate, but Garcon somehow came down with it and outran the Dallas defense the final 45 yards on a 59-yard score for a 21-3 lead.
Texans 34, Lions 31 (OT)
Shayne Graham’s 32-yard field goal with 2:21 left overtime lifted Houston (10-1) over Detroit (4-7) after Lions coach Jim Schwartz broke an NFL rule on a scoring play.
Detroit kicker Jason Hanson had a chance to get Schwartz off the hook, but his 47-yard field goal attempt on the fifth possession of the extra period hit the right upright.
Schwartz threw a challenge flag when Houston’s Justin Forsett scored on an 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Replays showed Forsett was down near midfield, but Schwartz negated the automatic review by challenging the play and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“It’s on me,” Schwartz said to his assistant coaches and players on the sideline as he tapped his chest. “It’s on me.”
Yes, it was. That touchdown pulled Houston within three points counted and Schwartz was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Arian Foster ran for 102 yards and two scores, including a 1-yard run with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter to cap a 15-play, 97-yard drive that took 5:43 off the clock and tied the score at 31.
AFC South-leading Houston (10-1) took its first lead when Graham made up for missing a field goal earlier in a turnover-filled OT. The Texans have won five straight — two in a row in OT — and if a handful of teams lose they could be in the playoffs by the time they get back on the practice field after a long weekend.
Detroit (4-7) has lost three in a row to make it extremely difficult to reach its goal of earning a spot in consecutive postseasons for the first time since the mid-1990s.
Patriots 49, Jets 19
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score as the New England Patriots embarrassed the host New York Jets with a 35-point second quarter.
After a scoreless opening quarter, the Patriots (8-3) went on a touchdown spree while taking advantage of several mistakes by the hapless Jets (4-7). New England scored four touchdowns in just over 6 minutes — including three in a 52-second span.
Former Kent State standout Julian Edelman returned a fumble for a score and caught a 56-yard pass for a score before leaving with a head injury. Shane Vereen caught an 83-yard scoring pass, Steve Gregory had a 32-yard fumble return for a TD to help make Bill Belichick the eighth NFL coach with 200 career victories, including the playoffs.
